Factionless

Factionless is a status in which a person is not welcome into any faction. This is described as being homeless and even worse than death itself because the factionless have to suffer. It is a common practice for Abnegation to give food to the factionless. It is not desired by any individual to ever be factionless. Some say they would rather die. The factionless are completely impoverished and live in the ruined section of Chicago.

They don't have a manifesto or a symbol, but some believe that the symbol should be an empty circle.

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It is said that the factionless must partake in the worst jobs in Chicago. These jobs come from the other recognized factions, who only prefer them for humanitarian reasons, as these jobs provide a sense of purpose for the factionless, who are constantly losing it due to not being part of a faction-based community. They become factory workers, garbage truck drivers, janitors, or other low paying jobs. They do the work no one else wants to do. Unlike people in a faction who are paid in money, the factionless are paid in food and clothes, and Tris Prior's mother says they do not get enough of either. They have to work really hard.

Many people become factionless because of their inability to complete their chosen faction's initiation but there are also some of those who choose to take on the label of factionless because they do not agree with the views of the faction they chose as their own. The city's largest population of the Divergent is in the factionless.Many people who are factionless usually failed Dauntless initiation. The Factionless is very large even as Tobias Eaton's mother says:

During the last stages of the war between the Loyal Dauntless and the Erudite, the Dauntless made a temporary alliance with the factionless. Evelyn, who was leader of the factionless, claimed they intended to restore the status quo.

The combined forces stormed the Erudite compound and ended the war. However, the factionless secretly took the weapons away from the Dauntless. Once disarmed, the Dauntless were unable to stop the factions from being abolished.

While ruling the city, Evelyn forbids people from leaving, passes laws to prevent the reestablishment of Factions, provides food and work to the Factionless, as well as having those connected to the Erudite engineered atrocities tried and executed.

While Tris, Tobias, and several other followers sneak out of the city, Johanna Reyes and Marcus Eaton lead a group called The Allegiant to reestablish the Factions. They manage to unite the Faction people (even convincing Amity to take up arms), but the Factionless population is so huge that they are still outnumbered.

Eventually, Tobias returns and convinces his mother to stop fighting. A peace agreement is made; Evelyn agrees to step down and leave the city forever if the new government is a democracy and if Marcus is forbidden from holding any office.

It is stated in the Epilogue that the Factions have been completely abolished, making everyone technically Factionless.